Curtain-mover



(No Model.)

I. M. ASKREN,

CURTAIN MOVER.

No. 469,803. Patented'Mar. 1, 1892.

.Iran

' llNirED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC M. ASKREN, OF DES MOINES, IOlVA.

CURTAIN-MOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,803, dated'March 1, 1892.

Application filed June 9, 1891. Serial No. 395,679. (No model.)

.To all whom t 71mg/ concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAc M. AsKREN, a citizen of the UnitedV States, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Curtain-Mover, of which the followingis a specilication.

This invention relates to sliding curtains,

and more especially to the fixtures used therewith; and the object of the same is to provide improvements in such devices.

To this end the invention consists in the specific details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective view of this invention as applied to a curtain, the latter being shown as closed. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in perspective of one of the pulley-plates and wire tu rn-buckle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the devices at the meeting ends of the curtain. Fig. 4 is a similar elevation thereof.

Referring to the said drawings,1 1 designate curtains secured at their outer ends to uprights 2 2, as the sides of the proscenium arch, and having eyes or rings 3 at their upper edges sliding on a supporting wire or rope 4, the curtains being preferably held taut by weights 5 near their lower edges. At the center of the wire 4 is a ring 6, and secured to each curtain, near its free 4edge, is an' L- shaped guide 7, having at its angle an eye or ring 3', similar to those carried by the upper edge of the curtain. The' vertical arm of this guide is secured in any suitable manner to the curtain, and its horizontal arm is also fastened thereto, except at its front end 8, which is deflected laterally, as shown in Fig. 3, and hence when the curtains come together the meeting edges thereof are slightly out of eX- act alignment, owing to this deflection of the forward arm of the guide, and they pass by each other beneath the ring 6, as shown in dotted lines. The left end of the Wire 4 is secured to the upright 2 but its right end is connected to a turn-buckle 10, whose other extremity is attached to a plate 1l, secured to the right upright 2, and by this 'means the turn-buckle may be operated to tighten the wire from time to time, as may be necessary. Rigidly secured to the said plate is a pulley 12, preferably of the snatch-block character, as best seen in Fig. 2.

13 is a plate securedv to the other upright and preferablyhaving an eye 14, to which the other end of the wire may be secured. These plates are castings attached by screws or f bolts, or if the uprights are plastered walls the plates may be secured to boards of sufficient lengths to be secured to two of the studding. To the plate 13, inside the eye 14, are pivoted at 15 15 two brackets 16,carrying pulleys 17,

also preferably of the snatch-block character.

The brackets are reversible on their pivots, so that the operating-loop may be on the right or the left of the curtain, as may be desired.

20 is a looped strap attached' to the floor and carrying at its upper end a yoke 21, in whose extremities are mounted pulleys 22,al though there might be but a single pulley 22 pivotally connected with the looped strap, if preferred, and the latter has a buckle 20', by means of which it may be adjusted in length.

23 is an endless operating-cord which passes beneath the pulleys 22, upwardly over the pulleys 17, through the ring 6, and around the single pulley 12, as best seen in Fig. v5. One

-strand of this cord is connected at 24 to the left curtain and the other strand at 25 to the right curtain.

In operation, the curtain being closed, as seen in Fig. 1, when it is desired to open the same the strand of the cord 23 nearest the curtain is drawndownwardly with a'handover-hand motion, and this draws the point 24 to the left and causes the point 25 to move to the right, whereby the curtains are simultaneously opened at equal speeds, the two strands slipping through the center ring 6, which is supported by the wire 4. To again close the curtains, the operation is reversed,

and as their meeting edges come together the deiiected ends S of the guides 7 pass slightly by each other, whereby the inner ends of the curtains are caused to lap slightly and an opening between them is thereby avoided. The strap 2O may be adjusted to take up the slack in the cord 23. The pivotal connection 15 of the brackets 16 with the plate 13 allows the pulleys 17 to turn slight-ly, as may be necessary when the operator in drawing quickly on the cord moves the same out of direct alignment between either of these pulleys IOO and those in the yoke 2l. The turn-bucklev l0 may be operated to tighten the wire 4. The center ring Gis useful, as above described. The L-shaped guides causethe meetingedges 0f the curtains to lap, and the weights hold the curtains taut and prevent them from blowing or swinging apart.

This device is especially adapted for use in small halls, schools, or even private theatri cals in the parlor, or'wherever slide-curtains of this nature are employed. The chief resistanc'e to the movements of such curtains is where their supporting-rings slide on the Wire, and hence if the operating-cord be attached to the curtains near such points the resistance is more effectually overcome than if the curtains were operated by manually drawing their `ends together from points near their lowercorners. Moreover, when curtains are thus operated by curtain boys there is often left a triangular opening at the upperend of the meeting ends of the curtain, to say nothin;r of the fact that a touching or pathetic finale is often ruined by the comic and unprofessional appearance of the urchins einployed for drawing the curtains.

What is to be claimed as new is The combination, with a wire stretched in horizontal position, of two curtains having rings at their upper edges sliding on said Wire, and an L-shaped guide secured to each curtain near its upper inner corner with the front end ot' its forward arm deflected laterally, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

vIn testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own'I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ISAAC M. ASKREN. Witnesses:

R. S. PINCKERTON, F. FURsT. 

